Brave
by Ananda17lady
Summary: "Please Rei-chan, just let me say this before I don't have the courage left to say it." Now Nagisa has more than his grades getting in the way.
1. chapter 1

"Nagisa-kun?"

Startled out of his slumber, he quickly turned away from the train window and up to where his friend was standing. The train that the two rode to school was unusually crowded today, so they were unable to sit together. Now seeing his questioning look, Nagisa smiled and gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Sorry, Rei-chan, did you say something?"

Shaking his head, Rei gave his friend a sigh. Nagisa was an energetic person, especially in the morning, but lately his friend seemed to be lacking in that department, even catching a nap on the train ride to school. He had read that the winter months could have that effect on some people, but in the entire time he had known Nagisa Rei knew he was not one of them. Adjusting his glasses and looking down at his friend, he chose not to address it right then and just repeat his question instead.

"I was wondering if you were still coming over to my house for our study session tonight. I need to stop at the store before heading home, if you wanted to come with me."

Nagisa smiled and looked like he was going to say 'sure, Rei-chan!', but then, his smile fell and he said, "Sorry, Rei-chan, I have to do something today. Can we have our study session a different day this weekend?"

A look of surprise crossed Rei's face before being quickly replaced by a more understanding one. After all, Nagisa was allowed to have other plans. Besides, he was not outright cancelling, just postponing it.

"Sure, Nagisa-kun."

The rest of the train ride was travelled in silence, and as the train pulled into the station Rei realized his friend had fallen asleep once again. Shaking his shoulder gently, he watched as Nagisa's eyes groggily opened and looked back at him. A quick scan of his surroundings told him that this was their stop, so Nagisa rose from his seat with his bag and followed Rei to the exit and into the cool morning air.

The rest of the way to school was just as quiet, as the usual banter that Nagisa usually provided was missing, causing the silence to hang uncomfortably in the air. Once in awhile Rei would clear his throat loudly or fuss with the scarf around his neck, whatever he could do to subtly get Nagisa's attention, but to no avail. Nagisa seemed to be elsewhere in his thoughts, and nothing his friend tried would bring him out of them.

As the main doors of the school building came into view, Rei tried once more. Since the two were in different classes, he wouldn't have another chance before lunch. Pushing his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose, he looked down at his friend's mess of blond hair and put on a smile.

"Well, I guess I'll see you at lunch, Nagisa-kun."

"Huh?" Finally torn from his thoughts and back in the present, he quickly flashed a smile and gave him a 'Sure Rei-chan' as the other turned to go inside.

No sooner had Rei disappeared through the double doors that Nagisa's smile faded as well. Giving a sigh, he climbed the stairs and walked through the doors into the foyer to find his foot locker.


	2. Chapter 2

For almost two months now, from the moment he awoke and pulled himself out of bed to the moment he passed out, the soreness in his hip had become Nagisa's constant companion. Although at first his parents just assumed he was going through "growing pains" and kept an extra bottle of pain reliever pills in the medicine cabinet, now almost six weeks later they weren't so sure. Not only had he not grown any taller, Nagisa seemed to be actually losing his appetite and losing weight as a result, something a teenage boy going through a growth spurt shouldn't be experiencing. Also, the pain had not improved, but now it seemed to be intruding on their son's sleeping hours as well, and the only thing he seemed to be consuming regularly were the pain relievers in the medicine cabinet. His sisters, who normally would tease him relentlessly, even began to take pity on him and help him cover up the dark circles that were becoming more noticeable.

Finally, after cornering Nagisa and threatening to make him do his last year at home if he didn't explain his strange routine, he admitted to them that he had been training hard and must have strained a tendon, and that his hip had been bothering him off and on since then. Seemingly pacified by his answer, they let the subject drop for the time being.

A week passed, however, and Nagisa's concern for their son hadn't waned. Although Nagisa protested, insisting that he was fine, his parents were equally insistant on him getting checked out, as much for their peace of mind as for his. After having him run away at the thought of possibly having to quit the swim club last year, getting a repeat of that incident was the last thing Mr. and Mrs. Hazuki wanted to go through. So, the following Monday the three of them took the train to Iwatobi Memorial Hospital, and sat down with the family doctor for a physical exam.

After several questions about swimming and how the team was doing this year, the doctor asked about the swelling he noticed on his hip and after seeing how extremely tender it was to the touch, the doctor asked if he could run some tests, and he could have the results back in about a week. Nagisa and his parents agreed, if only to put an end to the micromanaging of the situation that his parents were doing, in his opinion.

Now, the day had come when all of this nonsense could be put behind them and life could go back to normal. All he had to do was get through the day...

* * *

Lunchtime came, and Nagisa was his happy, energetic self. And when Rei would show his concern about his lack of sleep, he would give him a smile and wave it off with a "don't worry, don't worry!" as he sipped at his strawberry milk, only to throw it away half full when the bell signaled that lunch was over.

* * *

As Nagisa and Rei walked out the main doors at the end of the day, Mr. and Mrs. Hazuki were waiting at the end of the sidewalk. Nagisa paused, and after a moment Rei told him he could text him later, and walked away toward the train station. Nagisa met his parents where they stood and together they made their way to the train that would take them to Iwatobi Memorial Hospital.

When his name was finally called, the nurse didn't escort them to an examination room like he expected, but instead to a large conference room, where they were greeted by his family doctor as well as several new faces he didn't recognize. After the Hazukis had been seated at the table and offered refreshments, their family doctor seated himself across from them and opened a very large file folder. He then began pulling out various scans and x-rays that he had asked for days earlier for the family to see.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hazuki, Nagisa-kun... I'm afraid what I am about to tell you isn't exactly good news." There was a slight pause as he picked up one of the x-rays to the light. "There is an abnormally high concentration of cells in this area of the hip that is causing the discomfort. And, after analyzing the symptoms and the information from the tests, my collegues and I - motioning to the people at the table - believe it to be Stage IIA Osteosarcoma." Still seeing the shock and lack of understanding on their son's face, he lowered the picture and said, "Nagisa-kun, you have bone cancer."


	3. chapter 3

The next morning, a sunny but chilly Saturday, Nagisa groaned and slowly made his way to the bathroom. Reaching for the bottle of pills once more, he shook out a few and tossed them in his mouth and swallowed them easily with a sip of water. Sighing as he put the glass down on the vanity, he looked up to face his reflection. Instead of the bright eyed and energetic self he was used to seeing, a set of dull magenta orbs set in a slightly thinner, clearly fatigued face returned his gaze.

Grabbing his toothbrush, he tried to figure out how he was going to break the news to his friends, especially Gou and Rei. They were sure to take the news the hardest, as it would affect the swim club directly if he had to quit: without Nagisa, the full weight of the club would fall on Rei's shoulders, which was partly why Makoto chose to make them co-captains in the first place. Makoto never had to say it out loud, but Nagisa knew he didn't want to choose between them for the captain position.

That, and he guessed Makoto remembered him calling the vice captain position 'an empty title with no real responsibilities'.

Either way, he had to admit that he and Rei made a good team.

Even if he didn't quit, though, he knew things wouldn't be the same; there would still be the feeling of just being there to fill a slot on the roster.

Rinsing his mouth and washing the slightly bloody spit down the drain, Nagisa realized that any decisions he made from now on would not be easy.

After getting dressed, and noticing that his favorite shirt fit more loosely now, he went downstairs to the living room where his parents and youngest of his three sisters were waiting. His other two sisters, no longer living at home and beginning their lives as young adults, had apparently texted earlier and told his mother they would be there shortly.

Although both busy now with careers and relationships, they had made a point to be there for breakfast after their mother called and told them about Nagisa's diagnosis. This morning, the plan was for everyone to be together and talk about what they could expect in the next few weeks. Thankfully, after a lot of pleading and persuasion, the doctors had allowed Nagisa to put off beginning treatment until Monday to give him time to prepare his friends, which was what he would be doing after this "family meeting" was over.

His mom greeted him with a small smile and he returned it, albeit a little forced, and then she disappeared to the kitchen to finish preparing breakfast. His dad put down the paper to really look at his youngest child and only son: he took in his slightly thinner frame and the need for his son to now wear a belt with everything he wore, and inwardly ached from not knowing how to help him. His sister only gave him a look of pity. It all made Nagisa squirm uncomfortably.

A short time later, the front door opened and Nagisa's remaining sisters arrived and Mrs. Hazuki reappeared with some fruits and veggies, pancakes and eggs with cheese and crackers on a platter. Folding the newspaper neatly and laying it down next to him, Mr. Hazuki rose from the couch and moved toward the table, motioning to his children to do the same.

The rest of the meal was spent between awkward silence, gently prodding Nagisa to eat _something,_ and questions being answered the best Mrs. Hazuki could, sometimes looking to her son to participate in the conversation but mostly answering for him. Mr. Hazuki joined the conversation when he could; as the sole breadwinner of the household, he was forced to return to work on Monday and would not be able to help much with appointments. Thankfully, Nagisa's sisters were more than willing to help take some of the stress off of their parents. Nagisa only sat quietly, slowly moving the food around his plate and avoiding the looks his family was giving him. It all made him feel like a burden to his parents, and it was frustrating to Nagisa.

When the conversation finally died down, Nagisa asked to be excused and, before anything else could be said about his uneaten food, grabbed his jacket before rushing out the door to meet Rei and Gou. Once he was outside, Nagisa took a deep breath and tried to clear his head. It was still all so surreal that a week ago he had been a normal kid, and now he was going to have to tell his friends that he had a disease that could potentially kill him. He really didn't want to talk about it to anyone, but he also didn't want them to find out about it from anybody else either. He would have to figure out how to say it on the train ride. Then, before he decided to talk himself out of it, Nagisa pulled up his collar around his neck and walked to the train that would take him to where his friends were waiting.


	4. chapter 4

Rei adjusted his glasses and glanced down at his watch. Nagisa had asked to meet him and Gou at the station this morning, but each train that entered the station disappointed in producing their friend. He had texted Nagisa's phone several times to figure out what the hold up was, but got no response. Now the morning was slowly creeping into the afternoon, and Rei was getting annoyed. It was very bad manners to keep someone waiting as long as Nagisa had, but he and Gou couldn't bring themselves to just leave either.

So, they waited.

"What do you think he wanted to talk about?" the redhead asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Who knows? Nagisa-kun hasn't exactly been acting like himself lately."

"That's true."

A short pause fell between them before she asked the question neither of them wanted to ask. "Do you think he's running away again?"

Rei's breath caught in his chest as he turned to face her fully. "I think he knows that he can't run from his problems after the last time."

Gou gave him a small smile and nodded, but then her smile faltered as she said quietly, "I hope you're right about that..."

Just then, the train pulled into the station and Rei and Gou moved their focus to the exiting passengers. This time the train gave them what they were waiting for, and Gou waved him over to the bench where they had been not-so-patiently waiting. As Nagisa walked up, Rei noticed he was walking a little slower than usual, and he had a serious look on his face. When he got to the bench, he gave them an awkward smile and thanked them for waiting.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! We've been waiting for you for _hours,_ " Gou demanded, making no secret of her annoyance.

"It really is rude to be so tardy, especially when it was at your request that we meet you here," Rei said, echoing Gou's frustration.

Nagisa brought a finger to his face and itched his cheek nervously. "Sorry, Gou-chan...Rei-chan."

She was tempted to revive their timeless bickering match about the pronunciation of her name, but decided to let it go this time. "So... what did you want to meet us about?"

Nagisa's smile faltered as he lowered his hand and stood as tall as he could. The time had come. Taking a deep breath, he put on a serious expression once again and faced his friends. "I didn't want you to hear this from anyone else but me," he began, scanning his teammates' faces for any reaction. When he saw them glance at one another nervously, he took a breath to try and calm his nerves and continued. "It turns out that I won't be in class for awhile, and I'll have to step away from the swim club as well."

Rei narrowed his eyes as he looked down at his co-captain. "Nagisa-kun, I don't like where this conversation is going. If you are planning to ask for help with running away again, you already know where we stand on the matter. Now, drop the drama and tell us why we're _really_ here."

"That's what I'm _trying to do!_ " Nagisa snapped back. _Rei-chan thought I was running away?!_ As much as he wanted to, Nagisa knew that there was no running from this. Pushing his hurt and frustration back down, he let out a sigh and turned to Rei, a hint of desperation in his voice. "Please, Rei-chan," he pleaded, "just let me say this before I don't have the courage left to say it."

Surprised by the blond's response, Rei fell silent and allowed his friend to finish. Nagisa was being unusually serious, and he found it all a bit unnerving.

"I had to cancel our study session with you last night because I had a doctor's appointment," Nagisa said, now looking down at his shoes to avoid eye contact. "You guys remember how my hip has been bothering me since that first practice this fall?"

Rei and Gou nodded, not daring to interrupt again.

"Well, the pain hasn't been getting better, so my parents made an appointment and took me to get checked out. Our family doctor ordered a bunch of tests, and the results came back yesterday. He didn't want to discuss the details over the phone, so my parents and I had to go in and talk to him in person."

The more Nagisa talked, the tighter Rei's chest became.

Finally, Nagisa met his friends' gazes.

"Gou-chan... Rei-chan... I have Stage 2 bone cancer. I am starting my treatments on Monday."

Gou and Rei stood in shocked silence, struggling to believe that Nagisa was telling them the truth. Suddenly, Rei's voice pierced the heavy silence like a knife.

"That's hardly something to make light of, Nagisa-kun."

Nagisa's eyes grew wide. "Rei-chan..."

Rei pushed his glasses back up on his nose and flipped up his collar. "If you didn't want to come over, you didn't have to come up with such an elaborate excuse."

Tears began welling up in Nagisa's eyes as the realization of the situation hit him like a slap in the face. _He doesn't believe me..._

"I will see you at practice on Monday, Nagisa-kun." Before turning to walk away, Rei gave a small smile in Gou's direction. "See you, Kou-san."

Gou nodded in response, and with that the two watched as Rei turned and walked over to the train platform and stepped through the doors without looking back.

A movement in his peripheral vision forced his attention away from the departing train back to the swim club's manager. "Gou-chan, wait," Nagisa pleaded, grabbing her by the wrist. "You believe me, don't you?"

A look of sadness filled her eyes as she looked back at him. "It's Kou, and I'm honestly not sure what to believe, Nagisa."

Shock and hurt overwhelmed him, and released his hold on her wrist. Looking defeated, Nagisa lowered his gaze and clenched his fists.

"I hope that we will see you at practice on Monday," Gou said, hoping to get a smile out of him. When she came up unsuccessful, she smiled at him anyway and turned to walk to her station to go home.

 _You won't,_ he thought to himself as he slumped down on the bench to wait for the next train.


	5. chapter 5

_'Please, Rei-chan, just let me say this before I don't have the courage left to say it.'_

Behind those red-rimmed frames, Rei closed his eyes in a futile attempt to rid himself of the pleading voice he just couldn't block out. Nagisa had looked so serious, the most serious Rei had ever seen him, but he was struggling to understand what his friend told them. He kept waiting for Nagisa to do his 'gotcha' face and laugh about the looks on their faces, but it never happened and it angered Rei.

At least that would have been easier to accept than his best friend having cancer. It didn't make sense.

So Rei decided to do the only thing he could when life didn't make sense: research.

After a quick text to his parents, Rei turned back to the window and distracted himself with the scenery until the train pulled into the station. From there, he stepped out into the afternoon sunshine and walked briskly to the library.

* * *

"I'm home," Gou called, pausing to take her boots off in the entryway.

"Welcome back," Mrs. Matsouka called from the kitchen. "There's leftovers in the fridge if you're hungry."

"Thanks Mom," Gou answered. "I'll just go wash up and be down in a minute."

As she started up the stairs, Gou heard her mother's voice from the hallway. "Did you have a good time with your friends?"

Gou froze mid-step as she held a hand to her chest.

 _Not really,_ she thought to herself, and quickly climbed the rest of the stairs to her bedroom. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she quickly typed out a text and hit 'send'. Setting her phone down on the bed, Gou let out a sigh before walking across the hall to the bathroom to clean up for dinner.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a coffee shop in Tokyo, a tall, well-built first year college student was sipping on a cup of hot chocolate and working on the end of semester paper due later that coming week when his phone lit up and began to vibrate on the table next to him. Picking it up and flipping it open, he was surprised to see that the text message was not from Haru. When he opened the message, he felt his breath catch in his chest.

 **Call me ASAP. Something is very wrong with Nagisa.**

His fingers flew across the keys as he dialed the familiar number. After three rings, his call was answered.

"Hello, Haru? It's me, Makoto. Did you get a text just now, too?"

* * *

That train ride home could not have been more lonely for Nagisa as his friend's words played over and over in his head.

 _'That's hardly something to make light of, Nagisa-kun.'_

 _'If you didn't want to come over, you didn't have to come up with such an elaborate excuse._ '

 _'It's Kou, and I honestly don't know what to believe, Nagisa.'_

Blinking back tears, Nagisa forced his attention at the world outside his window. He had not expected his friends to outright refuse to acknowledge what he told them, but at least they had heard it from him and that was what mattered most to Nagisa. Whether they chose to support him or not was a decision Rei and Gou had to make on their own.

When he got home, Nagisa was greeted with only a hug from his mother and sister, both knowing words weren't necessary. Then, after going to the kitchen and grabbing a meal supplement shake out of the refrigerator, Nagisa slowly climbed the stairs to his bedroom and silently cried himself to sleep.

* * *

Sunday passed with Nagisa spending most of the day resting, only leaving his room to go to the bathroom. His parents took turns checking on their son, trying not to be discouraged when the snacks they brought him remained untouched. When he was gently encouraged to soak in the tub for awhile, Mrs. Hazuki cleaned his room as thoroughly as she could before taking the laundry to the wash. Downstairs, the adults focused on cleaning. Everything. From ceiling to floor, nothing was left untouched; when they had finally finished the house shined, and the Hazukis managed to focus on something other than their own anxiety about the coming weeks.

In the morning their family would walk down a path of uncertainty, and once they did there was no turning back.


	6. Chapter 6

Before the Hazukis could make their way to the hospital for Nagisa's first treatment, they had one more appointment to attend: their meeting with the principal and his homeroom teacher.

As the adults discussed the situation, Nagisa's mind wandered back to the train station and the disbelief he saw written all over his friends' faces. The memory of it still burned in his chest, but he tried to will it away. There was nothing else he could do now to convince them he was telling the truth.

The last stragglers were rushing into their classrooms as Nagisa and his mother walked down the hallway. As he walked past Rei's classroom, Nagisa couldn't stop himself from peeking in and search for his friend. However, his eyes widened in surprise when Rei's violet irises were staring back at him, equally surprised. But, the moment didn't last long as Rei was the first to avert his gaze and stare at the textbook in front of him. Putting on a smile to try and mask the hurt he felt, Nagisa turned away and walked briskly to catch up with his mom who was waiting for him near the stairwell.

* * *

Deciding the night before that taking the train home from the hospital would be miserable for their son, Mrs. Hazuki chose to take the family car instead, dropping her husband off at work before going to the school. With a kiss for his wife and a pat on the shoulder for his son, Mr. Hazuki went to work, saying that he would check in on his lunch break.

When they arrived at the check-in desk for the pediatric radiology department, the young woman handed Mrs. Hazuki a clipboard and several forms and politely invited them to find a seat until the nurse called for them. As she got straight to work filling out last minute paperwork, Nagisa let his eyes wander around the waiting room. He was surprised and saddened by how young some of the other patients were, all of them showing various degrees of anxiety about being there. Trying to settle his own nerves, Nagisa took a deep breath and turned his attention to the clock as he watched the minutes slowly ticking by.

At last, a nurse walked into the waiting room and asked Nagisa and his mother to come back with him to the examination room before going to the radiology lab, where the radiologist would be administering the treatment. As the three walked, Mrs Hazuki handed over the forms she filled out in the waiting room and the nurse went over some protocol that they would need to know in order for the procedure to go smoothly. When they reached the exam room, Nagisa was asked to change into a hospital gown and remove any jewelry he may be wearing. His mother excused herself to the restroom, and the nurse promised to be back in a few minutes to help prep him for his treatment.

A few minutes later, as promised, the nurse and Mrs Hazuki returned with a wheelchair to escort Nagisa to the radiology lab for his first of several treatments. After a look of confusion, the nurse replied, "Some of our patients prefer to ride rather than walk after treatment." So, deciding not to question the gesture further, Nagisa and his mother followed as the nurse escorted them to the lab.

After the initial anxiety wore off and Nagisa relaxed, he decided his radiology visits were going to be rather boring. And although the treatment itself was painless, the most difficult part about it was the importance of staying absolutely still. But roughly fifteen minutes later he was done and dressed back into his casual clothes. As the fatigue hit him, he was actually thankful for the wheelchair as they headed down to the oncology wing for his chemotherapy treatment.

The scene at the check-in desk played out the same as before, and shortly a nurse walked in and escorted them to the exam room. Once inside the room, the nurse took the paperwork and reminded them both about the side effects that they could expect during treatment. As per the agreement that Nagisa would not be admitted into the hospital, she especially stressed the importance of Nagisa maintaining his weight as much as possible; otherwise, they would have no other choice than to admit him in order to monitor his nutritional habits more closely. Finally, the nurse discussed pain management, and options that were available to them. Then, after being visited by the medical oncologist, the nurse gave him a pill to swallow and a prescription to fill later at the pharmacy, then wished them both a good day and walked them back to the waiting area.

The car ride home was a miserable one for Nagisa, but he was thankful that he had a fairly empty stomach when the nausea came on strong. His mother comforted him as best as she could from the driver's seat, but she decided the best thing to do was getting her son home to rest. Once inside the house, Mrs. Hazuki helped her son up the stairs to his bedroom and gently covered him with a blanket. After leaving a trashcan next to the bed, she kissed his forehead and quietly closed the door behind her. When she was certain that Nagisa was asleep, she returned downstairs to drive to the pharmacy for his pain medication. After safely retreating to the car, the tears she held back since first hearing the diagnosis began to fall.


	7. Chapter 7

_Maybe he just decided to take a later train today,_ Rei thought as the minutes before class time ticked away. He didn't honestly blame him if he had; after all, Nagisa's feelings were probably hurt after their conversation two days ago too and chose to avoid any awkward silence between them. _I'm sure I'll see him at lunch..._

Just then he heard footsteps in the hallway and instinctively looked for the source. His eyes widened in surprise behind his burgundy frames when he saw Nagisa staring back, not in his uniform but in casual clothes.

 _I must be seeing things..._

Breaking eye contact first, Rei stared down at the textbook in front of him. Taking a deep breath, he looked at the doorway one last time, but Nagisa was gone.

* * *

As Rei was about to go to the roof for lunch, his homeroom teacher lifted up a hand. "Ryugazaki-kun, would you please stay for a moment?"

Walking up to the teacher's podium, Rei answered, "Yes, Ma'am?"

"The principal just informed me that Hazuki-kun will be absent for the next few weeks. As a fellow member of the swim club and someone who lives near him, would you be willing to bring him his assignments to complete at home?"

Rei felt the blood slowly drain from his face. "N..Nagisa-kun isn't here today?"

His teacher seemed confused as she raised her eyebrows at him before responding. "I can't imagine anyone expecting him to be here in his condition. Didn't he tell you?"

He lowered his eyes in shame. _Yes, he did, but I didn't believe him._ Bowing slightly, he said, "I can do that for him."

Smiling, his teacher answered, "Thank you, Ryugazaki-kun. You can pick up the day's work from Ms. Hyoto at the end of the day."

Rei bowed again and excused himself to the roof, quickly climbing the stairs and looking for the swim club manager.

* * *

The atmosphere around the pool was unusually somber as the lack of Nagisa's presence was instantly noticed. Although Rei didn't say more than necessary, Gou could tell that having to say it out loud upset him. And his emotions betrayed him further as his swimming became erratic and his lap times suffered. As the swim club manager, Gou decided to focus on the swimmers in front of her rather than dwelling on Nagisa's situation for now. Being a third year herself, she needed to make the most of her time with the club.

And if that meant pushing them to their limits, then that's what she was going to do.

As the team went to the club room to change, she walked up to Rei and asked quietly, "Do you want some company on the way home tonight?"

Touched by her concern, Rei smiled at her and shook his head. "Not tonight. I have to make things right with Nagisa-kun...if I can."

Returning the smile, Gou nodded in understanding. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Rei-kun."

Nodding, Rei replied, "Good night, Kou-san."

When she was a safe distance away, Rei let out a long sigh and went to the club room to change and catch the train to Nagisa's house.

* * *

When he rang the doorbell at the Hazuki residence, it took nearly all of his will power to not drop the file folder he was holding and run away as fast as he could. He had spent the train ride trying to think of the right words to say, but now that he was here the words seemed to be lost on the wind. A few seconds later, the door opened and was greeted by a teary-eyed Mrs. Hazuki.

"Rei-kun, thank you for coming. I'm so sorry to trouble you with getting Nagisa his school work."

"It's not a problem, Mrs. Hazuki," Rei replied, handing her the folder. "May I speak to Nagisa-kun for a moment?"

"He's resting in the family room," she said, opening the door wider and inviting him inside. "Would you like some tea?"

"No, thank you. Please don't trouble yourself," he answered.

Smiling for the first time that day, she said, "Mr. Hazuki and I will be in the kitchen if you need us."

"Thank you," Rei replied, and made his way to the family room where Nagisa was lying on the couch watching a movie. He was about to ask his mom who was at the door when he noticed his co-captain standing in the doorway. Dishevelled and slightly pale, Nagisa looked surprised to see him. Sitting up and putting his feet back on the floor, he made an attempt to stand, but Rei quickly moved in front of him and gently put his hands on his shoulders.

"Please, Nagisa-kun, just let me say this. I'm really sorry for reacting the way I did yesterday. I didn't want to believe it, but when I saw you in the hallway this morning, I knew I couldn't lie to myself any longer. If you need anything I will do it." Bowing deeply, he added, "And if you cannot forgive my selfishness, I will do whatever it takes to earn your trust again."

"Rei-chan..."

Hearing the emotion in his voice, Rei looked up to see his friend in tears.

"There's nothing to forgive. But I will only ask one thing from you and Gou-chan."

"Anything."

"Don't make me go through this alone," Nagisa said. "Haru-chan and Mako-chan...I can't burden them with something like this...I don't know if I will be able to hang out at your house much, but you are welcome to come here. We can still do homework, watch movies, whatever." He paused before adding, "I might have to quit the swim club though. There's no point if I can't swim."

"Do Haruka-senpai and Makoto-senpai know?"

Nagisa lowered his eyes and said nothing.

"Well, we can talk about your place on the swim club another time, Nagisa-kun," Rei replied as he walked towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow after practice."

Mustering a small smile, Nagisa said the first thing that came to mind.

"Sure, Rei-chan."

* * *

I'm not sure how long I will make this story, so if you could leave a message and let me know if this is a good place to leave it or keep going.


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